It is very rare to find a cordial bond between teenagers and their parents, often categorised as a love-hate relationship. Given the issues that come along with adolescence, that there will be a conflict of interest between teens and parents is taken as a matter of course. And lately, the all-pervading presence of the Internet and social networking sites has become another source of conflict.
In the midst of all this, a new study by the Pew Research Centre, US, offers heartening news. The study found that texting has actually helped parents and teens keep more in touch. In India, we are seeing parents and teens bond over social networking sites and Twitter.
Nisa George, a first year engineering student, taught her mother the basics of chatting and texting on her Blackberry. “The Blackberry messenger is one of the best ways to keep oneself updated. I don’t need to call my mother every time and can simply message her. She has taken to it quite nicely and also connects with her friends and other relatives this way.”
Naysha Iyer, studying in class 11, feels that very often on Facebook, one articulates things that one otherwise wouldn’t, especially feelings of anxiety, happiness or concern. “Having my mom on Facebook helped her see those parts of me and we’ve been having a lot of fun following each other’s posts since then,” she adds.
Arguments and stress between parents and teens are also declining because of the constant connect with their children. Anita Malik, mother of a 15-year-old, asks her son to keep her posted about his whereabouts so she doesn’t get anxious. “My son keeps texting me about where he is going. I guess today’s generation is so used to texting and chatting that it (communicating) comes easier that way.”
Second year arts student Muskan Varma says, “To begin with, my mother was technologically challenged, but she chose to grow out of it. Especially when she realised that her daughter is going to be away most of the time, and we need to bond on a daily basis and swap information, there’s nothing like social networking sites and Twitter!”
“There are so many things one misses telling over the phone, perhaps because they are not so important. But knowing about them makes a difference anyway, like which book I’m reading or an interesting line of thought. My mother can easily catch up on these details on Twitter and she tweets back, and there you are, a heart to heart conversation follows. And the bond stays intact!” she adds.